Good old Harbor freight....Yeah we don't have that here. This is what I am looking at. 300? is about 400$

StrahlKabine

Bringing the parts to the sandblaster and doing them myself or having them done there is also going to be some pocket change and also time....
The compressor in the garage gregor and I share is not enough for this (single piston) but the garage next door has a twin piston compressor that I could borrow, and then in a few months perhaps I buy my own 'kompressor'

Was in the garage yesterday and got the top side of my frame cleaned with the angle grinder...still a bunch to do. A '65 or so malibu came in from a freind, so I spent a few hours helping to pull a small block chevy. Fun distraction to work on a car that runs and drives for a few hours. Going shortly to POR15 a few parts this evening in the basement...
The body is finished with media blasting and I should be taking it to the painter for primer.

I agree about sand getting everywhere. I would only media blast parts that are completly dis-assembled.

1200 lbs of sand? you gotta be kiddin' me! hope that was a typo. Good idea with the threaded rod through the shock mountings....

Thanks a lot for the encouragement! It means a lot. I know I've done a lot over the last few months, but still have a ways to go. I'm seriously thinking about stepping up and getting a good compressor, a blasting gun, and also a hobby size sandblasting booth for the garage. (About big enough to fit a wheel in) I spent an hour cleaning and derusting small parts last night that I could have cleaned in 15 min with a small booth.... That would speed things up and make my results better on the frame, and all the small parts....We'll see. Need to psyce myself up for the expense...
When working with the angle grinder I have been wearing a mask, goggles, ear protection and a suit! I almost feel like a robot since most of my senses have been isolated!
Looking forward to the weekend when I can get some work done again!

Got the last parts off the frame yesterday, front suspension is all off, and the rear axle and leaf springs are out. Even though the nuts/bolts were nice and rusty, some treating with penetrating oil, wire brush and then an electric impact wrench got everything off without breaking any fasteners! Only problem is that the sandblaster who did my doors and body, can only handle parts up to 4 meters long, so I guess I will be using the angle grinder to clean up the frame as good as posible. Honestly I am not so excited about the dust and dirt associated with cleaning the frame, but oh well. I'll tough it out. Plan to remove as much rust from the frame with the angle grinder, then rust treatment, then a few coats of black chassis paint.
During the week got a few parts from the brake and clutch pedals cleaned and painted and put on the shelf...

I went to a 'winterfest' from a local hotrod club 'The Draggens' saturday night...some cool customs there, and nice people, but I felt like the scene from 'pee-wee's big adventure' where he walks into the biker bar! Not the ususal hoity-toity crowd of Munich. Good times
Pics of the bare frame, and the body as it went off to the sandblaster.

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I got everything apart, and didn't loose any fingers or eyes in the process. I used three tie downs and bound the floor jack to the frame and then compressed the spring, removed the lower outter joint of the A arm, and everything went well. The first side I was a little nervous the spring would shoot out and go flying across the workshop, but it was all non-dramatic. Except I broke one of the clips that holds the sway bar onto the lower A arm....have to track down one of those...
I don't think there is room anyplace to get a coil spring compressor on the front coils here. A Macpherson strut where one would normally use a spring compressor has more space around the spring than these packards.....

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Blocks from 51-54 are compatible. Also you could get a 288 Block and put in your 327 internals. (Crank etc) i'm sure you'll find something here.
I now have a 51 288 Block Built up as a 327 in my 53 Clipper.
Good luck!

Another sunday afternoon in the garage. Got the front brakes off, and some small parts cleaned up and ready to start por15 process on brake and clutch pedal linkages....Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the shop and looking for the drum remover to get off the rear drums. Argh, even more frustrating, I found half the puller, but not the other half!....Got the body on a trailer and that will go to the stripper/sandblaster tomorrow.

....Either lack of planning or project creep got me.

I have my frame pretty much stripped, leaf springs and axle are still in, and front suspension is also still attached. A Arms, kingpins, sway bar and pitman arm.
In order to really make this car nice, I should send the frame out to get sandblasted and then paint it, which means I need to take out the front springs.
I had rebuilt the front suspension a few years ago, so am familiar with removing the springs...(Did it with a floor jack last time no problem) But now that there is essentially no weight on the suspension, how can I safely remove the front springs? Park a car on top of the end of the frame?
Coil Spring compressor?
Thanks for any advice.

Doors sandblasted, preped and primed! They will sit in a quiet dry place for a little while....Have to round up a few guys and a trailer and bring the body for sandblasting in the next couple of days. Rubber parts all ordered from Steele in the meantime.
Cleaned and POR15 painted the washers for the body mounts. Have to replace a few of the body mount bolts/nuts due to rust and 2 that I broke.

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